


Until the End of Forever

by Kagedtiger



Series: Time 'Verse [10]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-16
Updated: 2015-04-16
Packaged: 2018-03-23 07:41:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3760090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kagedtiger/pseuds/Kagedtiger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kirk has a few issues with the Vulcan legal system. Takes place in the Time 'Verse, some time after "Our Yesterdays and Tomorrows."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Until the End of Forever

"Explain to me again," said Kirk, rubbing his temples against an impending headache, "why I'm supposedly a woman now?" In the corner of the room, Dr. McCoy snickered into his hand.

"In order for our marriage to be accepted by Vulcan law," Spock repeated patiently, "one of us must be female."

"But why can't we just both be male?" Kirk asked. "Why can't we just be two guys married?"

"As I explained earlier," said Spock, remarkably patient, "there is no legal definition for marriage between Vulcan males because it is physically impossible. Furthermore, such a marriage is not logical. Because Vulcan marriage is not based on the emotions of the individuals, a marriage not arranged for the purpose of safe intercourse and breeding is illogical. It is... unknown to Vulcans. Nonsensical. Therefore, in order for me to be married, you must be legally defined as a female."

"So if I have to go out there and socialize, people will treat me like a woman?" Kirk was less and less enthused with their visit to the colonies. 

"Obviously you are physically male," said Spock, "and so you will be treated as such in social situations. In legal matters, however, as I have said, you will be considered female."

McCoy was practically in fits of laughter by this point. Kirk ignored him.

"Why can't you be the woman?" he whined. "What's so special about you, since we're both guys?"

"I am a Vulcan," said Spock, still serene. "Of the two of us, I am the one who most closely fits the definition of Vulcan maleness. Many of our laws are written with... considerations in mind for the problematic nature of Vulcan manhood."

Kirk squeezed his eyes shut. "Okay, okay, I get it. Guh. This is so stupid. Why are we even here?"

"Might I remind you," said Spock calmly, "that this was your idea."

And it had been; Kirk couldn't argue with that. Spock had been surprised when Kirk had brought up the idea of wills. "I have no objection to standard Starfleet protocol," he'd said. But Kirk knew better. Knew the legal hangups his mother had had to go through when his father had died. He'd been too young to remember at the time, but it had come to him, from her, and vicariously through the remarks of a number of boyfriends and stepfathers, sometimes offhand, sometimes snide. He knew the frustration she'd gone through with lawyer after lawyer, the problems of a Starfleet officer and a planet-bound spouse. He knew from his own less-than-legal inspections of Starfleet databases that Winona Kirk was still owed quite a bit of her late husband's pension, money that was lost nearly irretrievably in red tape and bureaucracy. 

How much worse could it be for them, from separate homeworlds? The Vulcans and the Humans each had their own embassies, governments, their own ties in to the Federation. Their own burial rituals, for fuck's sake, and what if they both died on a mission, and got buried on separate fucking planets? A stupid concern, maybe, but Kirk knew for his own part that if Spock died, the last thing he'd want to have to deal with was the fucking legal interpretations of a bunch of greedy, opportunistic vultures. A will - matching wills, for each of the three governing entities - would make things much smoother and easier. Or so he'd thought.

Kirk looked down at the PADD in front of him. "So what about if two Vulcan women want to get married?" he asked. "Do they both get to be women?"

"It is not logical for a non-breeding pair-" Spock began, but Kirk shot him a mental frown and a look that told him to cut the bullshit.

"In such cases, rare though they are," said Spock, sounding - to Kirk's ears at least - vaguely petulant, "both are defined as 'an individual who does not undergo pon farr,' and therefore both are considered female."

Kirk scowled - "Not fair! Totally not fair!" - and looked from Spock back down to the will once more. It was such a simple thing. Allocation of property and funds, such as they were, burial arrangements, and other such morbid trivialities. As though he would care about any of that if Spock died. As though he could be bothered. But then, that was the point, wasn't it? Logical, as Spock would say. The two of them had gone over the details at great length, to make sure everything was provided for ahead of time, so it wouldn't have to be dealt with then. Kirk had already signed two almost identical documents, one for Starfleet and the Federation, the other for the Earth government. This one shouldn't have been any different. It was just one little clause...

"I'm sure there's a logical reason for the woman to make this choice?" Kirk asked, ignoring Bones's returning snicker. "'Cause it doesn't seem very damn logical to me. I'm not sure I should have a legal right to dictate your personal life while I'm still around, let alone when I'm dead."

"It is thought that the departed mate is most familiar with the male's needs and wishes," said Spock. "Perhaps even more so than the survivor himself. Therefore, she - in this case, you - is the most qualified to choose her successor."

"But that's so stupid!" Kirk exploded. He turned to Bones for support. "I mean, right? It's ridiculous!"

Bones shrugged. "If it were humans, I'd say marrying the woman your dead wife told you to would get rid of any guilt you might feel about movin' on. But then again, if humans were involved, with real actual emotions and all, I'd say no one would ever accept it, and it'd be ludicrous. But a' course, we're not talkin' about Earth, or sensible people here. We're talkin' about Vulcans."

Kirk sighed, still torn. "It is not necessary for you to name a particular individual," said Spock stoically. "You may instead name a proxy, or a number of proxies, to make the decision in your absence. It is much the same as when I once asked you to select a wife for me."

In spite of himself, Kirk felt a sardonic grin pulled from him. "Well, and we can see how well that turned out." He didn't look at Spock - couldn't. Instead he stared at the words, in legal black and white. A ridiculous choice, really. In legal-ese, little more than an outlet for Spock's pon farr, a way to ensure his continued life, and to ensure that he would not be dangerous to others. Reasonable, and very likely necessary, as Spock would almost definitely outlive him, unless some mission went ass-up before then. But it was so much more than that. Who was he to dictate who Spock should spend the rest of his life with? Who was he to say who could ease Spock's grief, fill his own shoes? What arrogant presumption. To think that he could possibly tell Spock that everything would be okay, that his life could go on with this person. He couldn't. It was selfish, but he knew he couldn't do it. He could never give Spock to someone else. That's what had gotten them into this whole mess in the first place.

"What happens if he names someone, and then she doesn't want to marry you when the time comes?" asked McCoy from his lounging position on a bench in the back of the room.

"Then the woman herself chooses the spouse, or other appropriate naming proxy," Spock told him.

"Bones," said Kirk abruptly, not looking at either of them. "You're here anyway. Would you mind being the one...?"

"Oh no!" said McCoy, holding up his hands. "I don't care what you think I owe you, I am NOT puttin' myself through your fantastic sexy bruise-fest, lust-induced death scenario or no. Find another damn 'outlet'!"

Kirk couldn't stop a vaguely horrified grin at the mental image of Bones's sarcastic cynicism in the face of the terrifying lust that was Spock's pon farr. "That wasn't what I meant. I meant, would you be proxy? If I- if something happens to me, on a mission, would you pick someone for Spock at his next pon farr? I mean, assuming he doesn't have someone by then. I mean-" Kirk rubbed at an arm, uncomfortable. He stared at the words in front of him. "You know me pretty well. I guess, you know, pick someone like me. Someone who will give Spock shit from time to time, so he doesn't get complacent. You know what I mean."

"Jim," said McCoy quietly. "No one's like you." 

With a feeling akin to panic Kirk looked up, not at McCoy but at Spock. The Vulcan's eyes were fastened on him, intent, and they shared a pain and fear across the bond that belonged to both of them, to the unit of 'Them,' rather than to either individually.

"Bones, please," said Kirk, unable to voice his fear, unable to explain the terror, not of death, not even of loneliness, but of the necessity of moving on, the idea of being replaced not just physically, but mentally, of having his shoes filled, of being just the first, instead of the only. Of leaving Spock alone, of the loneliness of someone he loved, and the horrible responsibility of filling that loneliness with someone else. He looked back at McCoy, feeling absurdly desperate, wanting the decision taken away from him. "I- I can't-"

"Alright. Fine." McCoy's voice was clipped, unhappy. "I'll do it."

Nodding sharply, Kirk wrote the name and then signed the page with a quick stroke, wanting it overwith. He put the pen and PADD down abruptly, not wanting to touch them anymore.

A hand came to rest on his shoulder, and with it the soothing clarity of the bond, the comforting psychic awareness of Spock's presence. Kirk put his own hand up to cover Spock's and swallowed. Spock's emotions were calm and modulated as usual, but he shared Kirk's pain as though experiencing it himself, and by sharing it, eased it.

McCoy came up next to him and slid the PADD to face himself, scribbling his own name under the blank marked 'witness.' Spock's PADD was on the desk next to Kirk's, and McCoy signed that one as well. "There," he said gruffly. "If we're all sealed up here, can we get off this business of dying and move on to actually living?"

"Sure Bones," said Kirk with a smile. He patted Spock's hand in gratitude before dropping his own back to his side, feeling almost silly now in retrospect, and following Bones towards the door to the front office of the Vulcan legal council. Behind him, Spock grabbed up their PADDs, tucking them under one arm. He joined them with a few long strides, and, after a quick detour to turn in the forms, they exited out into the hot sun of New Vulcan. 

Kirk punched his communicator. "Enterprise, Kirk here. Three to beam up."

"Acknowledged, Captain," came Scotty's slightly staticky voice over the comm. "Ready when you are."

"Engage."

With the cool metal of the Enterprise under his boots, Kirk felt a lot better. Life was an adventure again, and thoughts of death and consequences faded, as they always did, out of his mind. Only Spock remained, striding side-by-side with him down the corridor to the bridge, and it was easy to believe that this moment would last forever.


End file.
